


late to the party (i hope we offend somebody)

by priorwalter



Series: Andreil Week 2019 [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: College AU, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-24 21:16:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19731931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/priorwalter/pseuds/priorwalter
Summary: “I hate you,” Andrew snaps, voice crackling over the phone.“Love you too,” Neil replies. “I’ll be there soon.” Andrew hangs up immediately. Neil puts his phone in his pocket and turns back to Matt and Dan, who are gawking at him, having heard the whole conversation.“He hates you,” Dan says suspiciously. “Neil. You must realize how that sounds.”“Does he expect you to fix his coffee machine? Is that why he called you?” Matt asks.Neil scoffs. “You can stop mother henning, assholes. I don’t know if he expects me to fix the coffee machine,” he spits sarcastically. “I might end up doing it because it’s our coffee machine because we have lived together for nearly a year. What the hell are you trying to get at here?”***Sometimes Neil's friends forget that Andrew is a real person behind his tattoos.





	late to the party (i hope we offend somebody)

**Author's Note:**

> Title from For Real by Mallrat. Prompts: tattoo/piercing, even if it's barely in the fic. I love tattooed/pierced Andrew.

Neil knocks on Matt and Dan’s door. He and Matt agreed to meet up to play Smash Bros today, but Neil’s a little late; he doubts Matt will mind.

Sure enough, Matt opens the door and grins. “Hey, Neil!” He says it like Neil showing up is a happy surprise, which Neil chooses not to think about. Matt envelopes Neil in a bear hug, which Neil reciprocates; he used to think that Matt just hugs everyone, but apparently, Matt just likes Neil that much. Matt is one of two people Neil will tolerate hugs from, but Andrew doesn’t hug him that much anyway. Andrew is usually clingy in private, but casual touches like putting an arm around Neil’s shoulder are out of the question.

“Whatcha smiling about, Neil?” Matt asks after letting him go. 

Neil shrugs. “Nothing. Where’s Dan?”

“She went out with Renee, so we have the place all to ourselves.” Matt winks in a way that he probably thinks is seductive.

“Yeah, you can cry as loud as you want when I beat your ass,” Neil retorts, as though he’s not a complete failure at any and all video games.

“Oh! Before I forget, Jeremy’s having a party on Friday,” Matt says.

Neil looks for a controller. “Okay.”

Matt sighs gustily. “Neilio, Neilington, Neilerson. I want you to come.” When Neil frowns, Matt pouts. “Please? Jeremy’s boyfriend Jean is going to be there and he’s a huge asshole. You two are exactly alike.”

“You know I don’t like parties,” Neil reminds him gently. He knows Matt wants him to meet more people and have more fun, but he’s never been a fan of the big crowds and loud noises.

Matt grins lopsidedly. It’s adorable, like a golden retriever smiling at him. “This is a small get-together at best. Us, Jeremy and Jean and a few of their friends, the girls, Kevin, Nicky, and Nicky’s cousin.”

Neil fakes a heavy sigh. “You know, I was thinking about it, but if Aaron’s going to be there it’s a hard pass.”

Matt frowns. “How do you know Aaron?”

“Why wouldn’t I know Aaron?”

“Whatever. Please come? I’ll owe you forever,” Matt pleads, dragging out the last _r_ in forever until Neil cuts him off. 

“Fine. I’ll come, but only if I can convince Andrew to come with me.”

Matt makes a series of facial expressions that vary between parental pride and confusion. “You made another friend? Who’s this Andrew?” Matt looks like he’s ready to scoop Neil up into another hug, so Neil steps back.

“What are you talking about? I’ve mentioned Andrew before.”

Matt shakes his head. “The only Andrew I know is Aaron’s asshole tattooed brother that works at Starbucks.”

Neil narrows his eyes a little. “Andrew’s my boyfriend? Are you sure I’ve never said anything?”

Matt nods vigorously. “Never. Anyway, I can’t wait to meet him; anyone who’s dating you is probably an actual angel.” 

Neil is about to clarify that his boyfriend _is_ Aaron’s asshole tattooed brother who works at Starbucks, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to hear any more of Matt’s surely negative opinions about Andrew. Mostly, though, Neil (and Andrew, for that matter) will find Matt’s reaction to their relationship funny, though Andrew may not show it.

“Oh, he’s the sweetest,” Neil says sarcastically. 

Matt musses up Neil’s hair. “I can’t wait to meet him!”

***

The thing most people don’t realize about Andrew Minyard is that if you care enough to ask him for something, he’ll give it to you. Most people just don’t care. Neil is not one of those people. That’s why Andrew agreed to go to Jeremy Knox’s ‘small get-together’. When Nicky found out that Andrew agreed to go, he whined at Neil over the phone, “I asked him to go, but you can guess what he said! You’re like a snakecharmer, Neil, I don’t know how you do it.” 

Currently, Andrew is sorting through Neil’s wardrobe. He usually picks Neil’s clothes for him when they go out because he doesn’t want to be seen with a shabby highschooler. Or so he claims. Neil’s theory is that he just likes how Neil looks in nice clothes. Whatever the case may be, Neil doesn’t care too much; from his vantage point on the bed he has a good view of Andrew’s ass, so there isn’t much to complain about. Andrew’s also wearing one of those sleeveless hoodies that you’re supposed to wear working out. It’s black and matches with his armbands. It makes his biceps look insane. Neil wants to lick them.

From here, he can see the light glinting off of Andrew’s row of helix piercings; he has four on one ear and two on the other. They’re all rings, all different colours. Currently, every single one of Andrew’s many, many piercings are all mismatched colours because it annoys the fuck out of Kevin. Neil can also see the top of Andrew’s back tattoo; it stretches across his shoulder blades down to the middle of his back and up the back of his neck. It’s very confusing and geometric. Neil is obsessed with it. 

“Here,” Andrew says finally, throwing a pile of clothes onto the bed. “And wear those green boots with it.”

Neil takes a look at what Andrew’s chosen for him; the shirt is, in fact, Andrew’s. Neil grins. “Just put on the shirt, babe.”

The _babe_ thing is new. Well, it started a few months ago. Neil loves it. More than loves it. He loves that Andrew is so okay with acknowledging their relationship enough that he can say that, even around other people. 

Andrew, sensing that Neil is thinking too much, glares. Neil puts on the shirt.

While they drive to Jeremy Knox’s apartment, Neil takes the time to wonder about how Matt will react. He’s not sure how many of his friends actually know they’re dating; Andrew doesn’t go out much, and when he does, it’s only ever with his family, Neil, Kevin, or Renee. Matt, Dan, and Allison would have no reason to have found out, if Neil really failed to mention it for so long. He doesn’t really care if they like Andrew; it’s probably the least likely outcome. Still, he doesn’t like people casting judgement on Andrew before ever getting to know him.

Neil knows what Andrew looks like. He’s heavily tattooed and has almost every piercing you could possibly get, and he wears black every day. Still, Andrew’s not the monster everyone thinks he is, and it bothers Neil that no one cares enough to look past his (quite literally) prickly exterior. 

Neil knocks on Jeremy’s door. Jeremy opens the door, cheerfully greeting the both of them, undeterred by their almost total lack of responses. Out of Neil’s friends, only Matt, Dan, Renee, and Allison have arrived. Neil’s glad to be temporarily spared from Aaron’s presence, but Matt, Dan, and Allison’s faces spell trouble.

“Hey, squirt,” Allison greets him. “Is your boyfriend the monster, or did Aaron hit the tattoo parlour recently? Please tell me it’s the second one.”

Neil frowns. “He has a name, you know.”

“Hi, Andrew,” Matt says, very clearly forcing himself to be polite. “I’m Matt. I’m afraid we haven’t heard anything about you.”

Andrew fixes his glare on Matt. “I know.”

After a moment too long of silence, Renee says, “It’s wonderful to see you, Andrew.” She turns her gaze to Neil with a mischievous, knowing glint in her eyes. “I like your shirt, Neil.”

Neil squirms uncomfortably, tugging at the hem of his shirt. He brushes his fingers against Andrew’s, so Andrew takes his hand. Neil leads them to the remaining empty sofa. Andrew keeps their hands tangled together in the space between them.

“So, Andrew, what’s your major?” Dan asks curiously. She and Matt are staring unsubtly at Andrew and Neil’s entwined hands. 

“Criminal justice.”

Matt huffs. “Somehow I’m not surprised. Neil, I completely respect your choice of boyfriend even though he’s Andrew Minyard, but I just have one question.”

“Yeah?”

“How do you sleep with someone who looks so much like Aaron? You said you hate Aaron.”

Neil’s face reddens slightly when Matt says _sleep with_. Andrew gives him a look that Neil takes to mean that Andrew’s internally laughing at him. After some consideration, Neil says, a little sharply, “I pride myself on being able to tell my own boyfriend apart from possibly the worst person on the planet.”

Jean laughs to himself and Andrew’s lips quirk minutely. Matt mutters, “I don’t know what I expected.”

Before Neil can reply, Nicky, Aaron, and Kevin arrive at once; Kevin stands in front of Neil and says, “Move over.” Neil glances over at Andrew, who nods. Neil moves over so his thigh is pressed against Andrew’s, leaving plenty of room for Kevin on the other end. A mote of hesitation, invisible to everyone but Neil, crosses Andrew’s face before he says, quietly enough that only Neil hears, “Yes or no?” Neil nods, unsure of what he’s agreed to. Surprisingly, Andrew pulls Neil toward him. After some awkward shifting, Neil ends up sitting in the vee of Andrew’s legs and leaning back against his chest, with Andrew leaning on the arm of the couch. Andrew’s arm curls around Neil’s waist, dipping under the hem of his shirt just outside of anyone else’s line of vision. Nicky coos at them, but Andrew silences him with a sharp glare.

Neil catches Dan staring unabashedly at them with a calculating gaze.

Neil checks out of the conversation around him for a while; Andrew has begun to card his fingers through Neil’s hair. Maybe this was Andrew’s intention: distract Neil to minimize opportunity for conversation. Neil isn’t complaining. Far from it. He hums contentedly and turns his head so he can observe the others. 

An unamused Jean is ordering pizza while the others squabble about what kind they want. Laila and Allison are arguing about something loudly, gesticulating wildly, while Alvarez looks on with a soft smile. Jeremy and Kevin are having a discussion that is getting progressively louder about their college’s hockey team. (Kevin is afraid to seem too angry at Jeremy because of his ‘mancrush’, as he insists upon calling it.) Neil thinks he could call what he’s feeling happiness. 

As if hearing Neil’s thoughts, Andrew drops a kiss on the crown of Neil’s head. “Stop it, junkie.” Neil hums and runs his fingers over the floral tattoo on the back of Andrew’s left hand which is resting on his stomach. Andrew cover’s Neil’s hand with his own.

“Andrew Minyard showing affection? Why, I never thought I’d see the day,” Laila says suddenly, interrupting loudly enough that everyone in the room turns to stare at Andrew and consequently Neil. Neil squeezes Andrew’s hand and glares at her, too sleepy to come up with a sharp retort. He’s sure Andrew is giving her a twin scowl. He’s glad that he and Andrew have reached a point in their relationship where someone making a fuss over their public displays of affection doesn’t make Andrew withdraw - in fact, he’s holding Neil even closer now. Neil turns his face into Andrew’s chest, away from everyone else.

“Look what you did, you made Neil sad,” Nicky cries after an awkward silence.

“He tricked me,” Matt sniffs. “He told me he’d only come if he could convince Andrew to come along. I see how it is, Josten. You just wanted to cuddle with your boyfriend instead of hanging out with your best friend in the whole world.” He huffs dramatically.

Neil frowns and says, without turning back toward the others, “Go away.” Andrew’s chest moves sharply as he huffs in laughter. Neil smiles, attention on Andrew once again, and tilts his head up so he can see Andrew’s face. Andrew rolls his eyes fondly. Neil turns his head toward the rest of the room once again, still mostly focused on the feel of Andrew’s arms wrapped around him. 

The attention drifts away from them when the pizza arrives. Andrew gently pushes Neil off of him so he can eat more comfortably, but Neil stays curled up at his side. He’s not hungry enough to grab his own slice of pizza, but he eats Andrew’s crusts. Eventually, Andrew’s arm comes to rest on his shoulder. Andrew so rarely enjoys going out with large groups of people, but he appears to be enjoying himself at least somewhat from where they watch from the sidelines. Neil presses a kiss to Andrew’s jaw and tunes in to Matt and Nicky’s conversation about the merits of pineapple on pizza while Dan butts in every so often with disgusted objections. Matt sees him watching and says, “Neil? Please tell me you see sense.”

“I don’t really like pizza,” Neil replies, “but fruit is good on everything.” 

Matt sighs heavily. “Neil. You’re so weird. Why did you let us order food you don’t like? You have to eat, you’re too skinny.”

Neil rolls his eyes. “I’m not that hungry. Besides, Andrew let me eat his crusts.”

Matt gives Neil and indecipherable look. “That’s only valid if Andrew likes pineapple on pizza.”

“I’d sooner die,” Andrew says, deadpan. Neil lets out a gusty sigh, long accustomed to Andrew’s war on fruit. 

“ _Thank_ you,” Dan cries. “At least someone here sees sense.” 

Matt places his hand over his heart dramatically. “Betrayed! By my own girlfriend. Neil, I’m running away with you.”

“I’ll meet you at the courthouse,” Neil replies breezily. Andrew doesn’t react, but Dan and Matt unsubtly watch him after Neil’s retort. Neil rolls his eyes. He feels like Dan and Matt are his parents and Andrew is meeting them for the first time, even though he knew Andrew long before them. 

Eventually, the night winds down; everyone’s tired and slowly sobering up. Neil, half asleep himself, says his goodbyes and lets Andrew lead him to the Maserati. He drifts in and out of consciousness on the ride back to their apartment, rest interrupted every so often by Andrew’s sharp starts and stops. When he wakes up, they’re in the parking lot of their apartment building. Andrew is typing on his phone. The blue light illuminates his face eerily against the black backdrop of the night. 

“Andrew? How long have we been here?”

Andrew doesn’t reply, but the time on Neil’s phone reads twenty five minutes past when they left Jeremy’s, which means they’ve been sitting in the parking lot for nearly fifteen minutes while Neil sleeps. He smiles sleepily at his boyfriend, laughing to himself when Andrew slams the car door when he gets out.

All thoughts of Dan and Matt’s suspicious behaviour slip from his mind when he falls asleep nestled in Andrew’s arms.

***

“So…” Matt says after him, Neil, and Dan have finished watching Brave in Matt and Dan’s bedroom. Neil is wedged between the two of them through no choice of his own. “Andrew.”

It’s the first time Neil has seen his friends in person since Jeremy’s party. Neil was expecting this, but he’s wary all the same. “Andrew,” he echoes after a few seconds.

“I’m sorry for calling him an asshole before,” Matt replies.

“I wouldn’t be,” Dan says, scoffing. “Neil, I’m sorry, but he is one.”

  
Neil tries to shrug, but movement is difficult while Matt and Dan flank him on either side. “I guess.” A small smile works its way onto his face, unbidden. 

Matt sighs. “We’re very happy you’ve found someone. We worry about you, Neil. You live for track and school and that’s it.”

Neil rolls his eyes. “But?”

“But why Andrew Minyard?”

Neil scowls. “You’ve barely met him, and you’ve only known me for a few months. Don’t start assuming shit about us.” He crawls out of the Matt-and-Dan sandwich and sits on the end of the bed by their feet. “You think you’re the first people to… to doubt him? You know what he looks like. You’re far from the first people to say something like that, but I never expected it from my friends.

Dan has the grace to look ashamed. “Sorry, Neil. I know better than to judge people on how they look, okay? He’s just volatile, and we don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Neil bites back a rude retort. Before he can figure out how to reply, his phone chimes. It’s Andrew calling him, which almost never happens. He tells his friends he’ll be a second and answers the phone. 

“Andrew?” 

“Your cats are a nuisance.” 

Neil chooses to ignore the _your cats_ comment since Andrew only says that when he’s annoyed with them. “What did they do now?” He chooses not to address the fact that Andrew is calling him rather than texting because something in his voice seems off and he doesn’t want Andrew to hang up.

A lengthy pause. Then, “The coffee machine is broken. King pushed it off the counter.” Andrew exhales sharply and pauses again before adding, “It was very loud.” 

Neil sighs. “I’ll get you coffee on the way home. I’m leaving soon anyway.”

“I hate you,” Andrew snaps, voice crackling over the phone. Neil wonders how long this conversation with Matt and Dan will take; Andrew is clearly on edge from whatever happened with the cats. He doesn’t tell Neil he hates him unless he’s feeling particularly vulnerable these days. 

“Love you too,” Neil replies. “I’ll be there soon.” Andrew hangs up immediately. Neil puts his phone in his pocket and turns back to Matt and Dan, who are gawking at him, having heard the whole conversation. 

“He hates you,” Dan says suspiciously. “Neil. You must realize how that sounds.”

“Does he expect you to fix his coffee machine? Is that why he called you?” Matt asks.

Neil scoffs. “You can stop mother henning, assholes. I don’t know if he expects me to fix the coffee machine,” he spits sarcastically. “I might end up doing it because it’s _our_ coffee machine because we have lived together for nearly a year. What the hell are you trying to get at here?”

Matt and Dan exchange an indecipherable look. After much deliberation, Matt says, “Neil. You never talk about him when he’s not around. When you were out with other people, you two barely talked to anyone but each other.”

“He was basically dragging you to his car after Jeremy’s last week. I’m sure you know how violent he can be,” Dan adds. “Are you sure you’re okay, Neil? I know you don’t like to bring them up, but your scars...”

“Mind your own fucking business,” Neil snaps, unadulterated rage staining his words. “Before that night, you met him where, at Starbucks? And now you think he gave me these years-old scars? I promise you I know my boyfriend better than you do. You don’t know shit about him, guys. Everyone always assumes he’s some criminal because of his tattoos, but I would have thought you were smarter than that. Frankly, I don’t care what you think of him. I know how he is, and I knew you had judged him already when I brought him there, but he’s my boyfriend. He’s the best thing in my life, and you have the fucking audacity to accuse him of _abusing me_ after seeing us together for one night. He came out the other night because it meant something to me for you to meet him, and this is how you react? For your information, though I don’t even know why I’m bothering to tell you this, he wasn’t dragging me to his car, he was helping me because I was really tired and he cares about me. He called me about the coffee machine because it made a loud noise and it scared him. I’m sorry that he’s not expressive enough for you to see that. Now I’m going home to my boyfriend who loves me. Fuck off.” With that, Neil stands up and leaves. He slams Dan and Matt’s bedroom door behind him. 

He drives back to the apartment recklessly. Inside, Andrew is sitting on the counter in the kitchen. On the floor before him is a garbage bag that Neil assumes holds the coffee machine. Andrew says, voice muddled with tiredness, “Where’s my coffee.”

“Sorry. I forgot,” he replies. “Matt and Dan think you’re abusing me. I told them off.” He stands in front of Andrew. “Yes or no?” Andrew nods, so Neil gently pushes Andrew’s knees apart and stands between his legs, keeping his hands carefully aside. Andrew takes Neil’s face in his hands, searching for any sign of discomfort. Neil traces Andrew’s back tattoo; he can’t see it, but he has it memorized by now.

Andrew’s intentionally flat gaze gives away more than if he were openly emoting. Though he seems expressionless, he has microexpressions that Neil is intimately familiar with. This, though, means he’s feeling too much and trying to hide it. It’s understandable, what with Andrew’s past. Neil waits patiently for Andrew to find the right words to respond. 

“It does not matter what others think of us,” is what he settles on, though his expression says otherwise. He opens his mouth to speak, but snaps it shut immediately. Eventually, he raises his eyebrows in a silent question. Neil nods, so Andrew takes Neil’s hands and places them on his waist before resuming his position cradling Neil’s face in his hands.

“What do you need?” Neil asks softly. Andrew tenses up. He still has trouble admitting his wants and needs. 

Words stilted, Andrew says, “I need to call Bee.”

“Okay. I can leave, if you want.”

Andrew shakes his head. He slips down from the counter and takes Neil’s hand. They end up on their bed, Neil lying down beside Andrew as Andrew sits up, leaning against the headboard as he talks to Bee. Neil avoids touching Andrew, but Andrew’s free hand runs through Neil’s hair. Neil doesn’t pay much attention to Andrew’s conversation, only tuning in when Andrew asks him a direct question, prompted by Bee. 

When he finally hangs up, he lies down beside Neil. “Yes or no?”

“Yes, Andrew.”

Andrew puts his arm around Neil’s torso and pulls him close enough that their noses are nearly touching. Neil’s hand hovers by Andrew’s face until Andrew nods at him. He threads his fingers in Andrew’s hair. Andrew buries his face in Neil’s chest. They fall asleep like that, calm and peaceful. It’s the first time in a long while he doesn’t have any nightmares. 

***

Sundays are Neil’s favourite day of the week and the only time he’s willing to consider skipping his morning run. Though there’s nothing particularly special about the day itself, Sundays have grown to become Neil and Andrew’s very own holy day. Andrew wakes up in a surprisingly good mood, considering the events of Saturday. Neil doesn’t even think about getting out of bed to go running when Andrew asks, voice thick with sleep, “Yes or no?” Before dragging Neil into a sloppy kiss. He tangles their legs together and they grind against one another, messy and imperfect, until Andrew is spent. Neil follows soon after.

It always takes Neil a few minutes longer to recover from an orgasm than Andrew, so Andrew runs his fingers through Neil’s hair as he winds down. He was out of it enough that this puts him to sleep, though he doesn’t realize this until he wakes up two hours later in a cold, empty bed. After brushing his teeth and changing out his sticky, uncomfortable boxers for clean ones, he goes in search of Andrew. 

He finds him perched on the kitchen counter reading. He still has a terrible bedhead, which surprises Neil after what happened earlier. “No shower?”

Andrew gives Neil an irritated look. “No point. I figured we weren’t done.” 

Neil grins. “Really?”

Andrew rolls his eyes and slips down from the counter. “Really, Josten.” He crowds Neil against the wall and gets to work on his neck, sucking enough bruises into his skin that Neil will definitely get more than a few stares in class tomorrow. Neil returns the favour, savouring the taste of Andrew on his tongue. He makes his way down to Andrew’s nipples, something Andrew loves, though he’d never say it. His nipple piercings make the experience a thousand times more pleasurable, apparently; more than once, Andrew has orgasmed from nipple play alone. Eventually, Andrew starts to palm himself through his sweatpants until Neil whispers, hot breath in Andrew’s ear, “I want you to fuck me. Yes or no?”

Andrew makes a sound halfway between a grunt and a whine. “Yes, Neil. Bedroom.” 

Andrew makes quick work of reducing him into a sobbing mess, fingering him until Neil thinks he’s going to explode before fucking him so hard Neil sobs with the pleasure and intensity of it, letting out high, keening moans every time Andrew thrusts into him. Andrew even makes a few tiny gasps, which drive Neil even crazier. Neil comes first with a shout of Andrew’s name, though Andrew isn’t far behind. 

He drifts off for a while after that; not quite asleep, but not very awake, either. When he comes to, Andrew is cradling Neil’s head in his lap, running gentle hands through his hair. 

“The neighbours are going to start filing noise complaints about us, you know,” Andrew mutters, though his pleased expression contradicts his sharp words.

“Maybe you shouldn’t fuck my brains out next time then,” Neil mutters hoarsely. “‘M gonna feel that at practice tomorrow. I can’t even get up now.” He tugs on Andrew’s forearm and wriggles around until Andrew scoffs and lies down before pulling Neil toward him so he’s spooning him from behind. Neil hums his approval. He’s clingier than usual after sex, though some of the time Andrew doesn’t like to be touched afterwards. He melts into Andrew’s arms, still boneless. They stay like that until Neil’s phone buzzes.

It turns out to be a text from Dan. _Sry about yesterday. Can M + I come over?_

Neil shows it to Andrew who says, “You’ll feel bad if you don’t talk to them and you’re busy this week.”

Neil whines. “I don’t care.” Andrew gives him an unimpressed look. He tosses his phone onto the bed and says, “Tell them to be here in an hour,” before burrowing into Andrew’s chest to rest some more. Andrew wakes him up twenty minutes later. 

“Neil. Shower.”

“No,” Neil murmurs, “you fucked me too good. I can’t move.” 

“I fucked you too _well_ ,” Andrew corrects. “I’ll shower with you.” 

“Carry me,” Neil says jokingly. To his surprise, Andrew actually does, hooking his arms under Neil’s knees and shoulders in a bridal carry. “Mm, so strong, baby.” 

“Shut up.” He deposits Neil in the bathroom and goes back to their room for a moment to fetch clean clothes for after. 

Andrew gets on his knees for round three in the shower, quickly reducing Neil to incoherency once again. Afterwards, Andrew gets himself off. Andrew washes Neil gently, gentler than anyone else has ever touched him. Neil sinks against his chest and lets Andrew take the lead.

  
Eventually, Neil hears voices in the apartment. He freezes, but Andrew shakes his head and takes his face in his hand. “I thought we might take too long so I told Matt and Dan to come straight inside.” 

  
“Mm,” Neil replies. 

“You better snap out of it to talk to them,” Andrew mutters.

Neil sighs. “Are you going to come with me?”

Andrew rolls his eyes. “You can barely stand without me.” Neil grins and mouths at the rapidly-darkening marks on Andrew’s collarbone. “Stop that, we have to get out of here eventually,” Andrew says. 

  
Neil pouts. “Fine.”

They finish washing and dry off quickly. Dan and Matt are waiting for them outside, sitting on the sofa with Sir and King sniffing at their feet as they inspect the newcomers. Neil sits in the armchair. Matt moves over to make room for Andrew, but Andrew sits on the arm of the chair instead. Andrew’s hand comes to rest on Neil’s shoulder, an anchoring presence in the tense atmosphere Matt and Dan created.

Matt’s eyes are glued to the matching marks on Neil and Andrew’s exposed throats. Neil doesn’t particularly care; his life on the run never taught him to be ashamed of or secretive about sex in the way that most people are. Matt shakes off the awkwardness and says to Andrew, “I assume he told you?” Andrew nods. Matt looks away and continues, “We’re… so sorry.”

“It was wrong of us to make any assumptions about Andrew or your relationship so quickly,” Dan says. “I’m sorry.”

Matt nods. “I hope we didn’t cause you any grief. How can we make it up to you?” 

Neil shrugs. “Don’t do it again.”

“Buy us some fucking coffee,” Andrew adds. 

“He’s kidding,” says Neil. Andrew flicks him lightly on the side of the head. Neil sticks his tongue out at him. Andrew intentionally brushes his fingers against the marks on Neil’s neck as his hand drifts back down to Neil’s shoulder. Neil leans into the touch. 

“Do you want us to leave?” Matt asks.

While he’s still angry with his friends, Neil thinks it would be a good idea for them to spend more time with Andrew, so he says, “You can stay. There’s a hockey game on right now.”

Andrew sighs. “The things I do for you.” 

“You don’t have to watch it,” Neil replies in a tone that implies Andrew very much does have to watch it.

Andrew says, “Yes or no?” quietly enough that only Neil can hear. When Neil nods, he slides off the arm of the chair into it; the chair is big enough and he and Neil are small enough that they can both fit side by side in if they squeeze. Andrew then lifts Neil into his lap. 

Dan smirks, eyes wandering to Neil and Andrew’s hickeys. “Fun morning, guys?”

Neil shrugs and grins shamelessly. “Until you interrupted.” Andrew noses at Neil’s neck, gently brushing against the marks. Matt gives Neil an exaggerated wink, and Neil rolls his eyes. Dan puts on the Leafs game, and everything feels right again. 

***

A few days later, Matt brings his Nintendo Switch over to Neil’s apartment so they can play Mario Kart. Dan has Allison and Renee over for something only described to Matt as a girl’s night. Neil was coming back from his Statistics class when Matt was about to leave so he decided to stop by and say hi to the girls while Matt gathered up his stuff before they drove to the apartment. 

It occurs to Neil too late that he’s forgotten to warn Andrew that Matt is coming, but there’s nothing he can do to fix it now because he didn’t even bring his phone with him to Stats. He unlocks the door of the apartment with Matt behind him to find Andrew lying on the ground with the cats sleeping on his chest. He scrolls through his phone idly.

“Hey, Andrew,” Matt says lightly. Andrew freezes.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you Matt was coming,” Neil apologizes. “Wanna play Mario Kart? Matt brought his Switch.”

Sir wakes up at the sound of voices and wanders off. Andrew sits up and cradles King against his chest as, miraculously, she keeps sleeping. “Fine.” He looks up at Neil. “We’ve got to watch her, she’s been sneezing.” On cue, King sneezes. It’s adorable, but Andrew frowns. “Stop that,” he whispers to her. “We don’t have any cat cold and flu Advil.” 

Matt gives Neil an amused look and skirts around Andrew to the TV. Neil follows, stopping to crouch down and kiss Andrew’s forehead. Andrew bats him away but gives him a tiny smile anyway. 

Andrew crushes Neil and Matt at Mario Kart for several hours until Dan calls Matt. Afterwards, he says, “Dan says things got out of hand. She wants me to stay over here for the night.”

Neil shrugs. “You can have the couch, but none of our clothes will fit you.” 

“I wouldn’t give you my clothes if they fit you,” Andrew cuts in, but the rudeness of his words is undercut by the way he’s holding King against his heart, stroking her fur softly as she sleeps fitfully. 

Matt shrugs. “I figured.” 

By the end of the night, Neil has already gone to bed and Matt is watching Friends reruns on silent. Andrew is still in the living room holding King, hesitant to move because she’s finally sleeping well. Matt turns his phone off. 

“You’re good for him. Sorry I didn’t see that before.” 

Andrew glares and mutters, “I don’t care.” 

Matt looks down at King then back up at Andrew. “Yes, you do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me at jonathansimz.tumblr.com.


End file.
